HEAVE THE HAWK....YEEEEESSSSSS!!!

I swear I think I would rather hear three hours of Bud Selig describing intimate details of his sex life than listen to this jackoff describing baseball games.

Such a whiny, gas bag of a homer.


HEAVE THE HAWK WEBSITE - SIGN THE PETITION
http://www.heavethehawk.com/whyheave.html

Why so angry with the Hawk you ask? In today's tilt between the Pale Hose and the Cubs, Harrelson goes on and on about how one pitch--called a ball to Soriano--turns around the inning and leads to the White Sox eventual demise.

Here's the play by play from ESPN's GameCast.

Chicago - Bottom of 8th SCORE 5-1

Scott Linebrink pitching for Chicago
S Linebrink relieved G Floyd.

M Hoffpauir hit for S Marshall.
M Hoffpauir safe at first on error by second baseman C Getz.
A Soriano singled to center, M Hoffpauir to second.
R Theriot popped out to second.
M Bradley struck out swinging.
D Lee homered to right, M Hoffpauir and A Soriano scored.
G Soto homered to left center.
M Thornton relieved S Linebrink.
J Fox hit for M Fontenot.
J Fox flied out to center.

1. Notice the 5-1 lead by the White Sox entering the inning.
2. Notice the Sox have Linebrink, a very effective set up man, whom they are paying good money to hold leads for ONE INNING before handing the ball to closer Bobby Jenks.
3. Notice how the fateful inning begins with an error by 2B Getz--making the eventual runs scored unearned. He makes that play, no runs score.
4. Notice how even after the pitch in question--which the White Sox catcher clearly "pulls" up into the strike zone, an indication to even decent HS umpires that the pitch is indeed a ball--Linebrink "recovers" to retire Theriot and Bradley.
5. Notice how even after DLee homers--if Linebrink retires Soto--who is hardly crushing the ball--the Sox are out of the inning with a lead.

But to Hawk, one "questionable pitch" is enough to totally unravel your highly paid set up man. Not to mention what it does to one douchebag of an announcer, who having played the game, should clearly know better.

One pitch should not be enough to unravel your set-up man. If it does, you're clearly in for a LOOOOOOOONG season. One pitch does however, unravel whiny,ignorant, obnoxious LL parents and White Sox announcers.

Sounds like it might be time to get a new announcer. Or knowing Hawk's propensity for misplacing blame, a new setup man.

SECOND DAY OF MLB DRAFT

This days results clearly demonstrated the lack of depth and weakness in this years crop of players. The Giants added three more players who were generally considered to be Top 100 talents. Two of them however, have considerable holes in their game, or are very one dimensional. Sorry, we don't DH in the National League.

The Giants also did not do much to provide future help to their pitiful OF situation.

Here are the newest Giants:

4th Round: Jason Stoffel RHP 6-2,220 Univ. of Arizona - Closer prospect, underachieved last year due to conditioning issues (great, fat and lazy). His command was spotty but has power stuff.

5th Round: Brandon Belt 1B 6-5,210 L,L Univ. of Texas-Austin - Seems like we have a plethora of guys just like this who have failed to deliver.

6th Round: Matthew Graham RHP 6-4,225 Oak Ridge HS - Plus arm strength, up to 95 MPH. Raw project, inconsistent, non-repeatable delivery affects his command (negatively) No secondary pitches. UNC signee. Let him go.

7th Round: Nick Liles 2B West Carolina 6-0,165 R-R
8th Round: Karl Benusa OF Riverview HS (PA) 5-11 L-L
9th Round: Evan Crawford CF Indian Univ. 6-2,175 R-R
10th Round: Jeremy Toole RHP BYU 6-4,235
17th Round: Jonathan Walsh C-OF Coppell HS (TX) 6-2,205 Power bat, no glove. No position. UT Signee. He may not be signable.

So, Wheeler, Joseph, Dominguez, Stoffel, Graham and maybe Walsh were considered Top 100 talents and it may be good on the one hand that the Giants were able to select six of them in the first 30 rounds, but on the other hand, with two of them seemingly destined for institutions of higher learning, this may be a very non-productive draft.

Baylor closer Kendall Volz amazingly fell to the ninth round even though the late reports indicated his stuff may play better as a starter professionally. That would seem to have increased his stock.

Illinois phenom Ian Krol fell to the 7th round to Oakland. So the cost of playing the fool would seem to be about 4-6 rounds. He likely would have been a 1st-3rd rounder without the senior year fiasco.

The third day (AYFKM??) will be held today, rounds 30-50. Only for the faint of heart and those who have not been drafted. And those without much of a life, like myself.

MEET THE NEWEST GIANTS

1ST ROUND PICK - RHP ZACH WHEELER

Not a bad first day for the Giants. All three picks were taken around where the consensus opinion seemed to have them placed. A bit of a surprise they passed on Matzek, who was there for them, but his bonus demands may have seemed unreasonable.

The two bats are high risk/high reward. Both have large power potential, but both seem to have a propensity to swing and miss a lot. Dominguez has been compared to Dave Kingman, YIKES!!!!

FROM MLB.COM:
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/draft/y2009/reports.jsp?content=wheeler

Biographical Data
Player Name: Zack Wheeler
Position: Starting Pitcher
School: East Paulding (Ga.)
School Type: High school
Academic Class: Senior
Birthdate: 5/30/90
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 170 lbs.
Bats: Switch
Throws: Right
Report Date(s): 3/6/09
Game(s): LaGrange Invitational, Ga.


Focus Area

Comments
Fastball: Wheeler has great arm strength and can get the fastball up to 95 mph. He sits at around 90-93 mph.

Fastball movement: It has plenty of life, with a close to low three-quarter arm slot that creates a good angle, especially against right-handed hitters. He throws it down in the zone with sink.

Curve: He flashes a plus curve, but it's not consistent in the strike zone. He throws it 78-80 mph.

Changeup: He doesn't really throw it, but he has shown some feel for it and could develop into an average pitch.

Control: His command is in and out. His fastball command was better than with his curve. Inconsistency with delivery causes the disruption in command.

Poise: He threw well in a good, competitive atmosphere. When his command leaves him, he manages to collect himself and get out of trouble.

Physical Description: Wheeler is tall with long arms and broad shoulders -- the kind of body you want from a high school pitcher, with projectability and wiry strength.

Medical Update: Healthy.

Strengths: He has big-time arm strength and flashes a plus curve. He's a baseball rat with excellent makeup.

Weaknesses: His command is inconsistent, especially with the breaking ball. His delivery is inconsistent. He doesn't really show a third pitch as of yet.

Summary: If you like projectable high school pitchers with a lot of arm strength -- and a lot of teams do -- then Wheeler might be the guy for you. The Georgia prepster has plenty of fastball and does show a plus breaking ball at times. Because of some delivery issues, his command can be spotty, but he's an excellent athlete with terrific poise and makeup. He might be a little bit of a project, but the upside is considerable.

FROM THE SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS:

The addition of Wheeler adds another polished arm to the Giants' minor league system.

Wheeler, whose fastball sits in the low 90s and who reportedly throws an advanced power breaking pitch, projects favorably to the Giants' heralded 2007 picks, Bumgarner and Alderson, who both are at Double-A Connecticut after breezing through the Class A California League with the San Jose Giants.

"We compared him to Cain, we compared him to Bumgarner, we compared him to Alderson," Sabean said. "It all came back that this kid was very reminiscent of those types of picks.

"With his size, strength and ability, he should be on the fast track."

Wheeler, who signed a national letter-of-intent to play at Kennesaw State College, said he's eager to begin his pro career, so signability isn't expected to be an issue.

---------------------


2ND ROUND PICK - C TOMMY JOSEPH
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/draft/y2009/reports.jsp?content=joseph

Biographical Data
Player Name: Tommy Joseph
Position: Catcher
School: Horizon HS (Scottsdale, Ariz.)
School Type: High School
Academic Class: Senior
Birthdate: 7/16/91
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 210 lbs.
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Report Date(s): 4/16/09
Game(s): Desert Ridge HS


Focus Area

Comments
Hitting ability: Joseph destroys below-average pitching and really turns it up a notch against better competition. He can use the entire field.

Power: Has light-tower power to the pull side and shows it off in workouts. He should have plenty of power to all fields.

Running speed: Has below-average speed.

Base running: Not a runner; more of a station-to-station type on the basepaths.

Arm strength: He has an above-average arm.

Fielding: This year is the first he's caught full-time after DH-ing and playing first base for most of his high school career. He does have some work to do defensively.

Range: Lacks overall quickness, which limits his agility behind the plate.

Physical Description: Joseph is a big, strong-bodied guy with a big frame, kind of a Chris Snyder type.

Medical Update: Healthy.

Strengths: Excellent bat with plenty of power, both now and in the future. Above-average arm could play behind the plate.

Weaknesses: Hasn't spent much time behind the plate, leaving some to wonder if he can stay back there, especially considering his size and lack of quickness.

Summary: In a deep class of prep catchers, Joseph hasn't gotten a ton of love, though his bat has been making more than enough noise. He's got serious offensive ability with light-tower raw power. He's more of a question mark behind the plate. He's got an above-average arm, but this was the first season he's caught and he lacks overall quickness. His bat likely will play anywhere, but if a team feels he can catch, he could sneak into the first couple of rounds.

---------------


3RD ROUND PICK - 3B CHRIS DOMINGUEZ

FROM SABERSCOUTING.COM:
http://www.saberscouting.com/2008/04/02/chrisdominguezreport/

Scouting Report: Chris Dominguez
April 2nd, 2008

Chris Dominguez
By Frankie Piliere

We’ve been talking about a lot of sure fire (if such a prospect exists) players as of late. But, in my opinion, scouting gets even more interesting when you are evaluating wildcard type players. Chris Dominguez, a physically massive slugger from the University of Louisville, is one of those players. Chris has always been a player of great intrigue to me tools wise and I thought I’d share my evaluation of him with you. Check it out after the jump…

Chris Dominguez, 3B - Harwich Mariners (Louisville)

Tool - Present/Future Grades

Hitting - 40/40

Power - 70/70

Speed - 50/50

Fielding - 45/45

Arm - 70/70

Physical Description - Massive frame, every bit of what he’s listed as. Looks very athletic despite his size. Wide shoulders, highly muscled up and down, thin waist. Tapered frame. True physical specimen. Built similar to Troy Glaus.

Hitting - On anything without a wrinkle in it or that isn’t on the outer half. Hits the ball exceptionally hard, has a special sound in his bat. Crushes the ball. Has a gaping hole on the outer half of the plate and struggles badly with off-speed pitches, breaking balls in particular. Pulls of badly, tries to yank everything. Has yet to learn how to hit the opposite way. Very quick and can turn on any fastball. Extremely prone to the strikeout. BP hitter right now, all or nothing in live action. Does not recognize the breaking ball.

Power - Special power, light tower power. Hits the ball a long way with minimal effort. Needs to put bat on ball more. Power is game-usable but he needs to make more contact. Puts on a spectacle in BP. Plus, plus power guy. Can hit one out in any part of the park in any dimensions. Most power is to center field.

Speed - Just about an average runner. Size limits his agility and mobility. Speed is more than adequate considering his position. Superb athletic skills but just not exceptionally fleet of foot. Speed may decrease over time considering his large frame.

Fielding - Not the quickest feet, decent hands but not a lot of range. Makes the routine plays, not going to be spectacular. Lacks quickness, and as he gets older and thicker he may move to first base, right field or DH. He doesn’t figure to be a real mobile player down the road.

Arm - Plus, plus arm. Threw mid-90’s from the mound in high school. Good throwing mechanics, throws right over the top and makes the throws from the third base with easy. Accurate arm. Likes to show off his arm, can be a bit reckless. If he can maintain some of his mobility, his arm would play perfectly in right field.

Notes - Very raw product but the potential is very visible. Needs a lot of work. Potential to be an impact big league slugger with some refinement. Two plus-plus tools. An interesting project but a big risk, his bat is far from a sure thing.

Adjusted Overall Future Potential: 53

Present Group: P, Future Group: C

Projected Role: 6th to 7th hitter in the order, starting player with low average, big power.

Draft Projection: 3rd-4th round

Overall Comparison: Wily Mo Pena

2009 MLB DRAFT

WILL STRASBURG BRING A NEW STIMULUS PACKAGE TO WASHINGTON??


Considered to be a lackluster draft overall, the drama will center around RHP Stephen Strasburg from San Diego State. Will the Nats draft him? Will they sign him? Will he go right to the Nats rotation if/when he does sign?

If the numbers his soon-to-be agent Scott Boras normally throws around are to be believed, he will almost have to go directly to D.C. by signing a deal that locks him up long-term.

They really cannot afford to bypass him and risk having the few remaining DC baseball fans still interested in the team act in kind by bypassing future Nats games in return.

After that, my attention turn to the Giants, picking sixth. I've heard HS LHP pitcher Tyler Matzek, who fits in with the organizations recent track record of selecting high-profile HS pitchers. Matzek's fastball has elevated to the mid to upper 90's from the lower 90's he started the season at.

Georgia HS OF Lars Tate might also make sense, but the Wendell Fairley experience may scare them off. Or it might motivate them to begin looking anew for the next Carl Crawford. Tate may be the best potential five-tool athlete available.

I also like Kendall Volz RHP from Baylor as near immediate help in the bullpen and a potential closer candidate down the road.

Plant HS (Tampa) RHP-SS Michael Givens is an interesting two-way player. His big-time arm overshadows what at times appears to be LL skills at SS. He may also be a prospect on the hill.

Locally, it will be interesting to see where Nequa Valley HS LHP Ian Krol ends up. An early season first round prospect, Kroll hurt his stock after being suspended by his school for repeated violations of team rules. My sources tell me that alcohol and a prima donna attitude may scare teams off until the third round and send Krol into the arms of Andy Lopez at Arizona.

By the way, kudos to the school and the coach, who sacrificed a potential state title run this year in order to get this kids attention and get him on the right track.

THE NATS ARE ON THE CLOCK!!!!

IF...

SEE LEBRON, THAT WASN'T SO HARD WAS IT?

One of the more disappointing and disturbing events in the world of sports this week was the LeBron James non-handshake.

Yeah, just another example of a big-time athlete being perfectly able to handle victory, success and glory--remember the fuss over the last-second shot--but not being prepared to handle the agony of defeat that inevitably goes with it.

Shame on those unfortunate souls in the media who give a pass to LeBron on this one, ostensibly because he's always been so accessible and nice to them in the past. Sorry fellas, the King is a role model and his horrible lack of class, dignity and sportsmanship filters down to the younger levels who look up to him.

And as anyone who is involved with youth sports will tell you, the greatest poison at that level is the lack of grace, dignity and sportsmanship for fellow players coaches, officials which leads directly to the self-indulgent sense of entitlement that allows these kids to believe that the earth--and everything around it--revolves around them.

The evils that this leads to are at the root of many of the problems we see in big-time sports--like NCAA basketball and football--as well as the professional sports.

Yes LeBron you lost, you got beat up by an opponent and you shouldn't feel good about it. But boxers do shake hands and hug at the center of the ring many times to show respect to a fellow opponent and they are effectively trying to kill each other in the ring. So your "beating each other up" analogy hardly holds water.

You lost, which is bad enough. You compounded that by being a LOSER, which is worse.

Your off season assignment--read Rudyard Kipling's poem IF. Memorize it. Understand it. Write it on the blackboard 500 times if you have to.

Because until you get it Mr. James, you will forever be a Prince and never a King.

IF

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!

--Rudyard Kipling